


Gift You A Lovely Kiss

by littendeservesbetter



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Anime), Pocket Monsters: Sun & Moon | Pokemon Sun & Moon Versions
Genre: Christmas, Fluff, M/M, Pokemon, SatoGlad, Secret Santa, Trustedpartnershipping, all of ash's past companions are there, anela and hobbes are related bc i SAID SO, burnet and kukui are mentioned, gladion makes some threats because he's edgy, kiawe/sophocles if you squint really hard, lillie best wingwoman, mild cursing here and there, serena is not jealous and possessive we do not tolerate serena slander in this household
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-25
Updated: 2020-12-25
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:00:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,167
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28211280
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/littendeservesbetter/pseuds/littendeservesbetter
Summary: When Lillie drags her brother to join her class for a Christmas party and a Secret Santa, Gladion obliges somewhat reluctantly. What he doesn’t realise is that this Christmas will bring the best gift he’s ever received.
Relationships: Gladio | Gladion/Satoshi | Ash Ketchum
Comments: 11
Kudos: 63





	Gift You A Lovely Kiss

**Author's Note:**

> literally all i do is write trustedpartner and im not even sorry  
>   
> YEAH THE TITLE IS A PLAY ON THE MOVE ‘lovely kiss’ AND WHAT ABOUT IT  
> kukui better be proud of me
> 
> but anyway, merry christmas!! this fic is completely self-indulgent, not beta read, kinda stupid, and ended up WAY longer than i planned it to be. enjoy this hellfire of my motivation at 2am <3

Gladion honestly didn’t know what he expected when his sister had called him at one in the morning, frantically asking him to go to the Pokémon School the next day for ‘something very important.’ His first thought had been that there was an Ultra Beast emergency, but Lillie had assured him that it was not anything life-threatening. 

So here he was, standing awkwardly at the Pokémon School entrance in the middle of broad daylight. Gladion was a little confused, to be honest. He was pretty sure it was winter break for them and despite Alola having no snow (unless you counted Mount. Lanakila), the region always made a point to be festive. The lack of people around further confirmed his suspicions. 

Umbreon stood beside him, pawing at the little rocks on the ground. The Eeveelution wasn’t a fan of staying in the sun; nevertheless, she stuck by her trainer loyally. Even if it was, like, thirty degrees out. 

“Gladion! There you are!”

The boy clad in black looked up at the familiar voice, seeing his sister run up to him. She was dressed in her usual clothes, though her hat wasn’t with her. Gladion stood up straighter as she approached him. 

“I’ve been standing here all along,” he said, looking around. “Uh, isn’t it winter break for you? Why’re you in school?”

Lillie giggled, twirling around. She was obviously very excited about something, though Gladion couldn’t figure out what. “Ah, ever so observant, my brother,” she teased, laughing harder when Gladion rolled his eyes. 

“Cheeky, you. Why’d you call me here, if it’s not anything important?”

Lillie huffed, sharpening her gaze so suddenly that Gladion had to do a double-take. “Firstly, I’m here to scold you. You just disappeared after the whole incident with Poipole and Necrozma! You didn’t even say goodbye!”

“I... didn’t think it was necessary,” Gladion replied slowly. “Besides, I followed you guys to save Alola. The job was done, I didn’t have anything else to do with all of you.”

The girl sighed, shaking her head. “Oh, brother. You know they all consider you a friend, right? Not just some colleague that appears once in a blue moon to join them on a life-or-death mission.”

“Friend? Yeah, right,” Gladion scoffed, ignoring the warm feeling that was starting to rise from his chest. He didn’t have friends. Well, other than Ash, but he was more of a rival in his eyes. 

“Whatever, that wasn’t what I called you here for. See, Professor Kukui and Principal Oak” —she started walking into the school, gesturing for Gladion to follow— “allowed us to use the classroom for a little gathering. You do know what day it is, right?”

“Uh...”

“Oh, doesn’t matter. It’s the eighteenth of December.” She looked at him expectantly, making Gladion frown. 

“Okay, and..?”

Lillie exhaled slowly, almost like she was telling herself to be patient. Gladion didn’t know if he should be offended by that. It was embarrassing, really, but there were times where his younger sister seemed to be older and more mature than him.

“Christmas is about a week away, Gladion. And you will be joining us for our Christmas party.”

“Wait, _what?_ ”

“The rest are in the classroom right now,” Lillie continued, ignoring her brother defiantly. “They’re writing down names on slips of paper because we want to do a Secret Santa, and you’ll join!”

“Do I not have a say in this?” As much as Lillie insisted on it, he didn’t know the Ultra Guardians that well. If he got someone like Sophocles for this Secret Santa thing, he’d practically be doomed. Lillie shook her head, making him groan. 

“I can’t believe I’m letting you rope me into this.”

“I’d blackmail you if you said no,” Lillie said casually as Gladion narrowed his eyes suspiciously. 

“Blackmail? What kind of information could you possibly hold against me, anyway?”

“I’ll tell all of them about the origin of your name,” she deadpanned. 

“I’m named after a fucking flower!” Gladion grumbled. “Mum and dad are _dorks_. A Sword Lily child, and then a Lily child.” He gave Umbreon a dirty look when he heard her bark with laughter. 

“Mhm. And unless you want to open your door every morning to find bouquets made of Gladiolus flowers, I suggest you join us without complaints,” she said sweetly. 

“I hate you.”

“No you don’t.”

They reached the classroom, and Gladion gave it a quick scan. It was a simple, average looking room, though Gladion knew that there was that transportation to the Ultra Guardians base somewhere. Probably hidden in plain sight. 

The colourful group — minus Ash and Kiawe — was crowded around a few tables, muttering among themselves. In the corner of the room was Kiawe, decorating a tree with Turtonator and Marowak’s help. Ash was, well, doing his own stuff. He looked quite insistent on hanging up a bunch of wreaths and bells and other glittery stuff around the classroom, using Rowlet’s flying ability to his advantage. 

Gladion nearly gasped in shock when Ash climbed onto a table and _jumped two feet into the air,_ his legs dangling as he grabbed onto a railing while trying to hang a decoration. No one seemed to have noticed the boy, not even Lillie, who was busy talking to Snowy. 

“Fuck, he’s gonna fall,” Gladion mumbled, Umbreon purring in agreement. Ash wasn’t very high up, if he fell, he would probably suffer from a few bruises, but Gladion wasn’t going to take any risks. His gut instinct screamed at him to dash forward, and so he did. 

Just as he suspected would happen, Ash lost his grip and fell. Gladion braced himself, holding out his arms and catching Ash before his skull could bash against the ground. Ash groaned loudly before his eyes opened in shock. 

“Wha- Gladion?!” He jerked, the action causing Gladion to accidentally drop him. _Oh well, there goes trying to save his ass from injury._

“Hey,” he said simply, watching as Ash rubbed the back of his head. “You okay?”

“Yeah, of course! What’re you doing here?” He asked excitedly, standing up. Gladion avoided his eyes, focusing on Umbreon and Pikachu chasing each other in circles. 

“Lillie dragged my ass here. She’s forcing me to join your little party gathering,” Gladion admitted, thrown off when Ash just started laughing. “What’s so funny?”

“Nothing! I’m just imagining an angry Lillie dragging you by the arm because you don’t like socialising.” Gladion made a face at that, causing Ash to laugh harder. 

“Kidding, kidding. Thanks for saving me, even if you did, well, drop me.”

“Consider it repayment for catching me when I fell off Noivern,” Gladion replied, fiddling with his hoodie sleeve. His neck grew warm, though he pointedly ignored it. 

“Hey, you two! Get over here, we’re gonna draw lots to see who our Secret Santa is!” Mallow called. The two boys quickly walked over, seeing Lillie’s hat filled with little slips of paper. ‘So that’s where her hat went,’Gladion thought.

“Okay, we’ll all go around the circle to pick a paper. Whoever’s name is written on it is the person you have to get a gift for, alright? Oh, and if you get your own name, just pick another,” Mallow instructed. 

Ash went first, putting his hand in the hat eagerly. He opened his slip of paper, lips quirking into an amused smile. “I got my own name,” he announced with a snicker. 

“You’re kidding. What were the chances,” Kiawe muttered, Lana nodding in agreement.

“Back in the hat it goes,” Mallow sighed, holding the white headpiece out. Ash threw it in and grabbed another, checking the name. He gave a thumb-up, signalling that his choice was okay. 

They slowly went around the circle until there was one slip of paper left. Gladion took it with a suppressed sigh. He prayed that it would be Lillie’s name since it would be the easiest for him. 

He looked at the paper, raising an eyebrow. ‘Ash’ was written on it, along with a mini drawing of Pikachu. Gladion couldn’t decide if it was an indicator that he needed to get a gift for Pikachu too or not. 

‘Well, it’s not too bad, I guess,’ he thought, glancing discreetly at the raven. He couldn’t think of a gift right now, but Gladion told himself that he’d figure it out after a bit of browsing. 

“Okay! Everyone happy with their people?” Mallow asked, eliciting a ‘yeah!’ from the majority of the group. “Then it settles it! We’ll meet here on Christmas Eve, okay? Remember to bring your sleeping bags!”

“Excuse me, what?” Gladion hissed to Lillie, who was avoiding his glare. “What does Mallow mean by sleeping bags? I wasn’t informed of this?”

“Ah, about that... did I mention that the party would be a sleepover on Christmas Eve, and then a full day of hanging out on Christmas?”

“You did _not,_ unfortunately,” Gladion snapped, sighing. “You’re all going to drain my social battery.”

“You say it like it’s not on ten percent all the time.”

Gladion gave her another glare before sighing, running a hand through his bangs. “I can’t believe this.”

“It’ll be fun!” Lillie whined, clasping her hands together. “Just come for this one party, please? 

There she goes with the Rockruff eyes. Gladion let out a frustrated grunt, crossing his arms. “ _Fine,_ I’ll come. But this will be the first and last time I’m allowing you to drag me to your little parties.”

“Yay!” Lillie squealed and somehow, Gladion couldn’t find it in himself to be mad. 

“Okay, can I go now?” 

Lillie bit her lip, twiddling her fingers suddenly. Gladion narrowed his eyes. “Uh oh. So I can’t go. Why?”

“Well… we were—”

“Heck yeah! Aina’s Kitchen, here we come!” Ash cheered from the other side of the room, pumping his fists into the air. Gladion recognised the name. He knew Mallow ran the restaurant, so— wait. 

“Are you serious,” Gladion deadpanned, turning to his sister. “Please tell me you aren’t dragging me there too.”

“...you should come join us for lunch?” Lillie asked sheepishly. Umbreon ran up to him, tugging on the fabric of his jeans. 

“See, even Umbreon wants you to go!” Lillie said cheerfully, bending down to pet her. “I bet she’ll love the food from the restaurant. Mallow makes food for the Pokémon too, you know. She’s got some really good recipes.”

“Hey, Gladion! You coming with us?” Gladion looked up, seeing Ash and the rest of his classmates at the door already. Most of the Pokémon were out of their Pokéballs, so Gladion assumed that they were going to be walking. 

He looked back at Lillie, who was staring at him pleadingly. Weighing the options in his head, he held back another sigh. Gladion _supposed_ that he could learn a bit more about Ash to help him figure out what gift to get him for Christmas. Yeah, that seemed like a reasonable idea. 

“Yeah, sure,” he called, letting out Lycanroc and Silvally so they could walk with the others. He didn’t miss the look Lillie gave him when he headed forward to join Ash and awkwardly ask what his favourite colour was. 

* * *

  
Lillie wasn’t lying when she said that Mallow’s Pokémon food was good. 

Gladion doesn’t think he’s ever seen his Pokémon chow down food so fast before. Even Umbreon, who was often elegant in her way of eating and mannerisms, had ditched the whole act. She was eating as fast as Rowlet was, and that was saying something. 

“It’s like they haven’t eaten in a week!” Ash commented from beside him, laughing. Gladion frowned, turning back to his meal. 

“I swear I feed them enough food…” he muttered. 

“Yeah, but when the food’s really good, you just can’t help but shovel it down your throat!” Ash turned to his own Pokémon. “Right, guys?”

They all made similar noises of agreement, making the group smile. “I’m honoured your Pokémon have taken such a liking to the food, Gladion,” Mallow said with a giggle. “I was a little unsure on what to give Silvally, but it seems to be enjoying the meal just as much as the rest of the Pokémon!”

“Please, you don’t have to worry so much. Silvally will eat anything. Including my hair,” he grumbled at the end, though Ash heard him.

“Your hair?” He repeated incredulously. Gladion nodded, sending a glare at Silvally, who ducked its head sheepishly. 

Having lunch with the group wasn’t as bad as Gladion though it’d be. He still preferred staying alone at the motel, away from everyone with just his Pokémon with him, but the group was pretty good company. He may be constantly bewildered by Kiawe’s passionate talk about Wela Volcano, or Lana’s cryptic jokes, or Sophocles’s babbles about technology, but it was entertaining enough to last him the afternoon. 

Not to mention, Mallow’s restaurant served amazing food. He made a note to visit more often. 

Before he knew it, Ash was standing up and insisting that they go to the nearby shopping district in Hau’oli City to get some early Christmas presents, and Gladion found himself agreeing along with the rest of them. 

He just needed to observe Ash closely and see what interested him around the mall, Gladion told himself. It wasn’t because he genuinely liked hanging out with them or anything. 

They decided to go to the market first. As they walked around, Ash was greeting practically everyone around them. Gladion raised an eyebrow, nudging the raven. “Are you literally friends with everyone here?” He hissed. 

“Haha! I mean, yeah. I run errands as a chore since I stay at Professor Kukui’s, you know, to repay him. And most of them are just coming to the market to get some stuff. I guess you can say that I’m quite familiar with all the vendors,” he laughed.

As the group continued to venture around the area with their Pokémon, they stopped by a particular stand. Ash was saying hi to an old lady wearing a Litten necklace — according to him, her name was Anela. Anela took some fruits from her stand and offered them to the group, almost like she was expecting their arrival. 

“And who’s this young man?” She asked with a knowing glint in her eye, giving him a kind smile. Gladion stepped back in shock at being addressed.

“Oh! This is Gladion! He’s Lillie’s older brother, and my rival. And, well, my friend too!” Ash introduced him cheerfully, gesturing for a slightly flustered Gladion to come closer. Gladion obliged after some hesitation that Anela seemed to find delightful. He couldn’t help but find her vibe familiar. 

“There’s no need to be shy, we’re all family in Alola,” she said, turning her head to Umbreon, Lycanroc and Silvally. “You’ve got some lovely Pokémon too! Have a snack.” She took some more fruits from her stand and offered it to them generously, which they gladly accepted. 

“They _just_ ate,” Gladion muttered in disbelief. “I don’t think I’ve seen such an appetite coming from any of you.”

“That’s because Anela’s fruits are some of the freshest in Alola!” Ash said, chewing on a Sitrus Berry. Anela laughed at that, shaking her head modestly. 

“Did you know? Anela has an Oricorio, Pa’u Style!” Ash said, bouncing on his toes as he rambled on. “She’s a super good dancer too, her and Oricorio are amazing partners. They’re some of the best hula dancers I’ve ever seen.” At those words, Gladion’s eyes widened. 

“Wait a minute!” He cried, quite out of character for him. “You’re Hobbes’s cousin, you came over when we were younger a lot!”

“What?” Gladion heard Lillie shout, and he honestly couldn’t blame her. Anela chuckled, pulling out her Pokéball and releasing the pink bird. 

“So you figured! He and I both caught our own Oricorio when we were kids, though his is a Pom-Pom Style. I haven’t seen him in quite a while. How is he?”

“He’s doing great!” Lillie supplied enthusiastically, Gladion silently thanking her for it. He couldn’t exactly answer since he hasn’t been home in quite a while. “He’s a great butler, always looking out for us.”

“I’m sure he is. He’s always wanted to be a competitive battler, did you know? But he settled for becoming a butler instead,” Anela mused. This time, Ash was the one to answer excitedly. 

“Oh, yeah! I battled his Oricorio once, it was super strong! Right, Rowlet?” Rowlet seemed too busy to answer, stuffing its face with fruits. Ash rolled his eyes fondly at that. 

“You’ve battled Hobbes?” Gladion asked, raising an eyebrow. He knew that Hobbes was the best battler out of the entire staff, and he wasn’t an easy person to defeat. 

“Yeah, he kicked me and Rowlet’s butts, to be honest. We didn’t finish the battle — something interrupted, but Hobbes was super good!” Ash said. Gladion shook his head, hiding a smile. Leave it to Ash to be so optimistic even when he was losing. 

They said goodbye to Anela, who told them that they could visit anytime. As they entered the mall, everyone returned their Pokémon, leaving the smaller ones out. Lana and Kiawe ran off to check out an arcade that was recently opened, claiming that they would battle each other to see who the best arcader was (Lana’s words). Mallow and Sophocles had rushed off to the malasada stall that was selling new flavours — Mallow wanted to figure out its recipe and Sophocles wanted to taste test it. 

Ash and the siblings were left to go do whatever they wanted. Lillie had suggested that they take a look at the clothing stores, so off they went. 

“Oh, I have this shirt!” Ash said, pointing to a Rowlet-themed shirt excitedly. The Grass Quill Pokémon was currently sleeping in his bag, unaware of what was going on. Gladion raised an eyebrow when he saw a black shirt with yellow rings around its sleeves and collar. 

“This one looks like you,” he commented, showing it to Umbreon, who’s eyes widened. Ash looked over, letting out a laugh. 

“You should get it! Then you can match with Umbreon.” 

“Do you like matching clothes with your Pokémon?” Gladion asked, feeling rather perplexed. The only time he’s ever matched with someone was with Lillie, and that was when his mother forced them to. 

Ash nodded, eyes shining. “Not just Pokémon, but matching with anyone is great fun! It feels like you’re stuck together forever!” Gladion didn’t see how that made sense, but whatever floats his boat, he supposed. 

The green-eyed trainer put the shirt back on the rack, deciding that he wouldn’t waste money on it. He searched the store for his sister, spotting her near the hats section. 

“Don’t tell me you’re planning on getting another hat,” he deadpanned, walking up to her. She jumped, almost dropping the floppy pink hat in her hands. 

“Um... they’re cute?” She tried, laughing at Gladion’s expression. “Let me live! I think it’s adorable.”

“It’s so big... and _floppy_ ,” Gladion stated. It was also the least practical thing he had seen. How she even walked around without bumping into someone every day, he would never know. 

“It’s fashion! And floppy isn’t a bad thing!” She insisted, walking to the counter. Gladion watched her pay for the hat, rolling his eyes when she shot a peace sign at him. Oh well, not like he had any control over what she buys.

They left the store, with Lillie holding her new hat happily. Ash and Pikachu wanted to check out the Tourist Bureau, so off they went. Gladion had never been here himself, but it seemed to be a shop selling lots of souvenirs and other local goods. 

“We should get some for our friends and send them over for Christmas! Whatcha think, buddy?” Ash asked, holding up a seashell necklace with the word ‘Alola’ spelt on it. Pikachu squealed in agreement, picking up a bandana. 

“Are those for Misty?” Lillie asked curiously. Ash shrugged, looking around the store. 

“Among others, yeah. I know May would love another bandana, and Dawn would probably want the necklace. I could get Misty a fishing charm though, I know Lana brought back her love for fishing. Oh, do you think Cilan would want something from Alola? Ah, and I should get Bonnie and Max something! They’re gonna become trainers in like, what? A year? They’d want something to start out. Oh! And—”

“Just how many friends does he have?” Gladion hissed to Lillie, mildly overwhelmed at the amount of names Ash was listing. Lillie shrugged. 

“We’ve only met Misty and Brock when we went to Kanto. From what I’ve gathered, Ash’s been to many more regions, and he’s got friends in each one. So.” She nodded, turning away. “I’m gonna go try to find something for my Secret Santa. Bye!”

As Lillie went to somewhere else in the huge-ass shop, Gladion turned his attention back to Ash, who was still rambling. He shared a look with Umbreon before interrupting. 

“You probably shouldn’t buy so many things at once if you want to be able to carry it all home,” he pointed out, gesturing to the huge amount of things in Ash’s hands. The raven turned to him, blinking innocently. 

“Huh? Oh, I guess you’re right, haha. Pikachu, do you think Iris would prefer the pink or yellow?” Gladion sighed, deciding to leave Ash be. He walked out of the shop, deciding to wait for the two to finish their shopping.

As he stood outside, watching the bustling crowd come and go, Gladion racked his brain for a possible gift to give Ash. He really didn't expect to be putting so much effort in this, but for some reason, the blonde wanted to seem like he put thought into the gift. He wanted Ash to light up and thank him, nebulous eyes shining like they did in battle as he stared into a tiny galaxy captured within him…

Gladion quickly shook the thoughts away. He was going off-track. He just needed to find a gift; get it done and over with. Then he could go back to living alone in the motel and training until there was nothing left for his brain to focus on.

“Alright, where to next?” Gladion turned his head slightly to see Ash and Lillie, each with a bag in their hands. Ash pointed in the distance. 

“I wanna check that out!” He said, walking forwards. Gladion and Lillie shared a look before following him. 

They ended up in a department store, Ash heading straight towards the cooking section. He picked up a few pans and stared at them, eyes darting back and forth. 

“I wasn’t aware you could cook,” Gladion piped up, going up next to the boy. He gave him a laugh and shook his head, placing the pans down. 

“Oh, I can’t. Believe me, I’ve tried. It didn’t work out very well.”

“Then why’re you looking at pans..?” Gladion frowned, watching as Ash’s eyes brightened a little. 

“They’re for my friends! Cilan and Clemont because they’re always cooking for me when we travel. And Brock too. He’s probably gonna need another drying pan.” Pikachu and Ash started giggling as Gladion tried to decipher what _that_ meant. 

They continued looking around, Gladion listening to and following Ash closely. Unfortunately, whenever he thought something interested Ash, the raven was just thinking about his friend. He’s continuously mentioned his past companions and debated over what to buy for them, but never about himself. 

It was really frustrating, to say the least. 

“Come to think of it, I should get Professor Kukui and Burnet something too. What do you think they’ll like?” Gladion blinked slowly, realising that Ash was directing the question to him and not Pikachu. 

“Oh, um. They’d like anything you get them, honestly,” Gladion answered, knowing how close the three were. 

“What? Why?”

“Anything you get people comes from the bottom of your heart, doesn’t it?” He smiled a little when Ash just cocked his head to the side like he was even more confused. “You’ve been thinking about your friends this entire shopping trip. The amount of effort you put into your gifts is more than enough.”

“Really? You think so?”

“Of course. It’s the thought that counts.”

Ash seemed satisfied with his answer, sending him a small grin before turning back to the shelves. “Okay. That helps a lot.”

When the group met up again, it was already six in the evening. Gladion was about to go his separate way when Ash stopped him by grabbing his wrist, seemingly bashful. 

“Um... do you wanna come to Professor Kukui’s house with me? For dinner. Cause it’s late. If you’re... if you want to.” Gladion’s finger twitched, his neck growing warmer and warmer. 

“...sure,” he choked out, hyper-aware of Ash’s hand still on his wrist. Ash let go, cheering. The blonde rubbed his wrist quickly, trying to calm his pulse. 

“Okay! It’s not far from here, we can just walk. Bye guys!”

Gladion waved too, avoiding the look that Lillie was giving him. He swiftly caught up with Ash, who was trying to pet Pikachu with all the bags in his hands. 

Gladion returned Umbreon to her Pokéball before clearing his throat awkwardly. “...I could probably help you with those,” he said, holding up his empty hands for emphasis. 

“Oh, you don’t mind? Sorry, I kinda bought too much stuff.” Ash handed him a few bags, and Gladion noticed that they were all the smaller bags of the bunch. He said nothing, shifting all of them to one hand. 

“Why did you buy so many things? And who’re they for?” He asked, genuinely curious. Ash laughed sheepishly. 

“I guess it comes with travelling so much. I’ve made lots of friends, and rivals too!”

“Tell me about them,” Gladion said, a fond smile on his face when Ash started rambling about his friends in different regions and what they were like. 

When he reached Serena, though, a girl he said he travelled with in Kalos, he paused, and Gladion didn’t fail to notice the raven’s face heating up a little. He narrowed his eyes suspiciously. 

“Go on,” he prompted. Ash laughed a little, eyes cast to the ground. 

“Serena’s _awesome._ She’s super strong and hardworking and kind, and she makes the best Poképuffs ever. She also gives great advice and support. She almost won Kalos Queen, you know? She treats her Pokémon really well too. It’s just... I feel kinda bad whenever I think of her.”

‘What does that even mean?’ Gladion thought, watching Pikachu’s cheeks spark protectively. He kept quiet, letting Ash go on. 

“Apparently, Serena’s had a crush on me since we met each other as kids. I mean, I kinda suspected something halfway, I’m not _that_ dumb, but I thought I was being silly and ignored it. Then she, um, she kinda kissed me before she left for Hoenn.” He cleared his throat, avoiding Gladion’s gaze. 

“I see,” Gladion muttered, a sudden strong emotion that he couldn’t place his finger on filling his veins. “What happened then?”

“Ah, she and I are still great friends. It’s just a little weird between us sometimes, but that’s mainly my fault.”

“Your fault?” Gladion repeated, bewildered. “Because you don’t like her back?”

Ash nodded guiltily. “I just never saw her that way. And she was brave enough to confess, so I really felt bad about rejecting her.”

“Hey,” Gladion said sharply, his tone changing to something stricter and more clipped. “It’s not your fault that you don’t like her back. You can’t force that kinda thing — and you shouldn’t apologise for it too. She likes you? That’s great, good for both of you. But you should never feel obliged to return those feelings unless you genuinely mean them. You can’t pretend to love someone.”

Ash stared at him, mouth open. Gladion realised that he probably sounded too harsh, but then Ash started giggling. “Since when were you a love expert?”

“I’m not a love expert,” Gladion grumbled, feeling embarrassed. He turned away from Ash, hoping he wouldn’t see his blush. “Besides, feelings are complicated.”

As Ash hummed out another laugh, Gladion’s veins filled with dread. Images of Ash rejecting _him_ played in his brain over and over again. He could picture it so clearly, Ash telling him that he wasn’t interested and pushing him away while he drowned and suffocated in his own despair-

_Why was he even thinking about rejection? It’s not like he has any feelings to confess._

“Here we are!” Ash’s voice broke him out of his thoughts. He opened the door, waving to Professor Burnet in the living room, who was watching Detective Laki with Rotom. 

“Hey, Professor! I brought Gladion with me, we just went Christmas shopping. Where’s Professor Kukui?”

“Hey Ash, and hello to you too, Gladion. Kukui’s downstairs. Is Gladion staying for dinner?” Burnet asked, eyes glued to the television. 

“Uh, I don’t want to intru-“

“Yep!” Ash interrupted, sending him a pointed look. “Could you help me bring these to the loft up there, Glads? I’ll go get Professor Kukui.”

“Oh. Sure,” Gladion said as Ash passed the bags to him before running towards the basement. When he was halfway up the ladder, Gladion realised the nickname Ash had called him, making his eyes widen as he almost lost grip on the railings. He quickly made his way up before he could fall, sighing when he reached the top. 

“Glads? Since when does he call me that?” The blonde muttered, placing the bags on the couch next to him. His eyes drifted to a counter where a charging port for Rotom stood, along with a few pictures. 

He glanced at a specific one, seeing a bunch of people he didn’t recognise — probably the friends Ash was talking about. Gladion’s eyes drifted to Ash, who was grinning widely at the camera. He looked pretty young. 

Beside him stood an orange-haired girl and a taller brown-haired boy, both with their arms around Ash. He smiled fondly when he caught sight of Pikachu on Ash’s shoulder. The two of them would never be ‘them’ without each other. 

“Hey, you okay? What’s- oh.” Gladion froze when he felt someone behind him, looking over his shoulder. 

“Oh, that’s Brock and Misty! Heh, I was like, ten, when this photo was taken. That was so long ago.” Gladion raised an eyebrow, trying not to let Ash’s breaths on his neck get to him. 

“T-ten, huh? You were a cute kid,” he said nonchalantly, mentally slapping himself for saying that. Ash laughed as Gladion stepped aside. 

“Thanks. I miss those days, just walking around in the forests and collecting Gym Badges, learning about Pokémon. Though, Alola’s a nice change of pace.”

Ash reached out and grabbed the stack of photos before sitting on the ground, gesturing for Gladion to follow suit. He spread them out, pointing to the different people and telling them who they were. He rambled on and on about their adventures and friendship, and how they split up to continue chasing their own dreams. 

“Isn’t it hard? To say goodbye to so many people?” Gladion asked with a frown. He couldn’t imagine creating such a strong bond with people, only to say goodbye after a measly year. Ash’s hand stilled for a moment. 

“...it hurts less after a while. And I can always see them again; we all cross paths eventually. Like when we went on a field trip to Kanto! I got to see Misty and Brock again, thanks to Professor Kukui. It’s not impossible!”

Gladion smiled at the optimism. Ash really loved his friends. Friendship seemed to be the most important thing in his life to the boy. 

As the Professors called them down to eat dinner, Gladion finally thought of the perfect Christmas present.   
  


* * *

  
The present took quite a bit of work and organising, but Gladion got it finalised a day before Christmas. He had to get Professor Kukui’s help, trying not to accidentally reveal what he was doing, but Gladion was pretty sure that the Professor caught on anyway. 

It was also terribly difficult to contact so many people within a few days. Gladion’s social battery was officially drained. 

_“Hello, is this Brock Harrison?”_

_“Yes, it is. Who’s this?”_

_Gladion gripped the phone tighter, gathering up the courage for his request. “I’m Gladion, I’m one of Ash’s… friends, in Alola. We’re doing a Secret Santa, and I wanted to do something with all his past travelling companions.”_

_“Hm? What do you mean?”_

_“Ash really misses all his friends, he was telling me about all of you the other day. I was thinking… um, what if all of you come to Alola for Christmas? As a surprise, so that all of you can spend the day together.” He held his breath as silence came from the phone._

_After a few painful seconds, Brock started laughing. “You said your name’s Gladion, right? Ash’s told me about you. He claims you’re really strong.”_

_Ash talked about him? That was new information. Gladion laughed awkwardly, petting Umbreon, who was laying on his lap. “Ah, I see. He told me a lot about you and Misty. I was wondering if you could give me his friends’ contacts? I could arrange and book a hotel for all of you, and then you can come to the Pokémon School on Christmas-”_

_“Hey, chill out a little. Of course I’ll help you. I’d love to see Ash again, anyway. I’ll save your contact and send you as many numbers as I know, alright?”_

_“That would be great, actually,” Gladion breathed, a relieved smile on his face. “Thanks so much.”_

_“No problem. This is a really thoughtful gift.”_

_“Aha… I’d hope so. Ash has done so much for me and my family, I wanted to repay him somehow.”_

_“I see. Would that happen to be related to some Legendary Pokémon?” Brock asked. Gladion raised an eyebrow._

_“...yes. Why?”_

_Brock chuckled, deciding against answering him. They ended the call, Gladion staring at his screen with a small grin._

_Step one, complete._

He had gotten the numbers of Misty, May, Dawn, Cilan and Clemont. Recalling Ash’s friends off the top of his head, Gladion had to get Iris and Serena’s numbers. It wasn’t too hard — Cilan and Clemont were more than willing to help him. 

Then, he had to ask his mother for money to book hotels for everyone. That part was a little harder, seeing as Lusamine wanted to know _everything_ about the people he was doing this for. Gladion had to push her away when she started hugging him after realising he was doing this for Ash. 

It was terribly embarrassing, to say the least. 

Anyway, he got everything done and finalised on the 23rd of December. Ash’s friends had all booked tickets to Alola already, all of them coming over on the 24th. They were all bringing gifts too, buzzing excitedly in the group chat that Gladion had created. 

Gladion could only hope that Ash would like the gift. 

* * *

“Lana, don’t touch that!”

“Kiawe I swear to Arceus you’re gonna _break that_ if you keep training in the room.”

“Ash, get down from there!”

The classroom was a mess ever since the gang had arrived, their overnight bags thrown to the side. Halfway through, Ash and Pikachu had started racing each other while Kiawe tried to practice moves with Marowak. Mallow was trying to cook something with Torracat’s help, though Lana and Popplio nearly put out the fire using Bubble Beam. 

Sophocles remained at the other side, typing something in his computer that Gladion didn’t quite get. He was with his sister, who was trying to arrange the presents artfully around the Christmas tree. 

“Five, six… Gladion, where’s your present?” Lillie asked, noticing that he didn’t bring anything. Gladion shook his head. 

“It’s coming tomorrow. Don’t worry.”

She gave him a suspicious look before nodding, standing back up. Upon realising the mess and chaos in the classroom, Lillie sighed and whistled loudly, catching everyone’s attention. 

“Calm down, all of you!” She scolded as sheepish grins made their way onto their faces. The group gathered to the centre of the classroom, sitting down in a little circle. 

“Mallow’s cooking up some hot cocoa,” Lana informed, petting Popplio’s head. Sophocles raised an eyebrow. 

“Hot cocoa? It’s not even cold,” he commented. Lillie and Snowy shared a grin. 

“That can be fixed! Snowy, use Hail.” Snowy obliged, yipping happily when snow began falling from the ceiling. The class shivered a little, feeling the snow drop on their arms. 

“If I knew this was going to happen, I’d probably have brought a jacket,” Kiawe grumbled, eliciting a laugh from all of them. 

“Like _you’d_ wear a jacket,” Lana deadpanned. 

“Cocoa’s ready!” Mallow called, bringing over a tray with seven cups. The rest took them gratefully, sipping on the warm liquid. 

“Gladion, where’s your pyjamas?” Ash questioned, gesturing to the usual hoodie and jeans the blonde was in. 

Gladion glanced at the group, only just noticing that they weren’t in their normal outfits. They probably came in their pyjamas, and he just didn’t realise it when he and Lillie entered the classroom. 

“They’re in our bags,” Lillie answered for him. “We didn’t think to change before we arrived.”

“Well, go change now! You can’t be the odd ones out,” Mallow encouraged, pushing Lillie’s shoulder. She laughed and nodded, walking over to her bag while Gladion followed. 

“You’re wearing long sleeves?” Lillie asked when she noticed Gladion pulling out a black shirt. 

“...yes? Don’t I always?”

“Okay… but it’s going to be pretty hot,” Lillie warned. Gladion let out a scoff. 

“I’ve been walking around like this in Alola’s weather since forever. I’ll manage.”

When the siblings had changed and re-entered the classroom, Ash let out a cheer, pointing at Kiawe. “I told you! Pay up!”

“What?” Lillie asked, sitting back in her spot. Ash gave her a grin, fist on his chest. 

“I said that Gladion would come in in full black, but Kiawe said he’d wear a bit of red. I’m right, so I win!” 

“You made a bet on whether I’d wear red or not,” Gladion deadpanned. Ash nodded proudly as Kiawe sighed and handed him some coins. 

As they continued to chat and play silly little games, they didn’t notice nightfall coming. They ate takeout that Sophocles ordered beforehand for dinner, laughing among themselves when Lana and Mallow complained about their siblings, when Ash told them stories about his adventures, or when Gladion and Lillie attempted to embarrass each other with childhood memories. 

“We were walking past this kids store, and Lillie saw the Clefairy doll. So she wanted it, even though she had over a dozen Pokémon plushies at home already.” Gladion let out a sigh, pausing dramatically. “But alas, Lusamine said no.”

“So Lillie, like the absolute _brat_ of a child she was, started screaming in the middle of the mall. Except, because of the way we’re raised, she started spitting out as many fancy words she’s ever heard our mother say. She was like ‘mummy! If you don’t get the Clefairy doll for me, I’ll get Hobbes to call a lawyer! This is capitalism! I will commit tax fraud for the doll!’” The group snickered at his imitation of Lillie while she rolled her eyes. 

“I didn’t know!” She said with a blush before a wicked grin spread on her lips. She held up the doll in her hands. “And look, I got it. Learn my methods before you mock me, _Gladiolus.”_

“You said you wouldn’t tell!” Gladion snatched the doll out of her hands while she tried to grab it back, standing up and holding it as high as he could. “Now I’m gonna spill your secrets, _Lillian!”_

“Your full names are Gladiolus and Lillian?” Lana asked, holding her hands up defensively when both siblings shouted a loud ‘no!’.

“He was named after the Gladiolus flower, but his name isn’t actually Gladiolus,” Lillie informed, jumping as an attempt to get her doll back. “And my name isn’t Lillian, thank you!”

Gladion pointed towards the open area outside the classroom, waving the doll threateningly. “Keep this up and I’ll throw this thing out the fucking balcony.”

“You wouldn’t _dare.”_

“I will,” Gladion said, fully aware that he will not. 

The green-eyed trainer let out a sharp gasp when someone jumped onto his back, plucking the doll out of his hands and throwing it to Lillie. Gladion turned his head slightly, catching a glimpse of black hair. “Hey, get off of me! I’m going to drop—”

Ash promptly tumbled to the floor. 

Gladion crossed his arms and glared at Ash, trying (and failing) to keep the amusement out of his voice. “Look who fell in front of me again.”

“That was _one time.”_

“Actually, two. You fell when you were hanging on the railing last week. This is the third time.”

“I hate that you keep track of it,” Ash huffed, the group giggling at that. 

They finally went to bed at around one, snuggling under sleeping bags and admiring the night sky from the open balcony. As Gladion’s eyes grew heavy, he smiled to himself, shaking his head. 

The group wasn’t such a bad company after all. He might, just _might,_ even consider them his friends. Ash, who was right next to him, caught him still awake, whispering his name as he rubbed Pikachu’s head. 

“What’re you thinking about?” The raven asked, turning his head. Gladion didn’t bother to move away when he realised their close proximity. 

“Just how nice it is,” he admitted, staring outside. Ash gave a breathy laugh and nodded. 

“You’re right. It’s nice having you around too. You should hang out with us more.”

“I’m not so sure if the others would agree with that,” Gladion replied, watching as Ash’s eyes widened. 

“What do you mean? Of course we’d want you here. _I’d_ want you here.”

Gladion fell silent, unsure what would be appropriate to reply with. Ash gave him a gentle smile, eyes seemingly brighter in the dark light. 

“Promise me you’ll try to hang out with us more,” Ash said, holding out his pinkie. Gladion rolled his eyes amusedly, reaching towards him and locking their pinkies together. 

“Okay, okay. I promise.” He knew fully well that he probably wouldn’t be able to keep that promise, but he was going to do his best to try anyway. 

Besides, Ash seemed satisfied with his answer.

“It’s really late. Night,” Ash mumbled, eyes closing. Gladion hummed, deciding to try and sleep too. 

And, well, if they slept through the night with their fingers touching, no one needed to know that.   
  


* * *

“IT’S CHRISTMAS!”

Gladion let out a loud groan, shielding his eyes from the morning sun when someone shoved him. _Hard._ He felt a tail hit him — probably Umbreon — tickling his nose. 

“Pika!”

...definitely not Umbreon. Gladion forced his eyes open, blinking slowly when his vision was blocked by a bunch of yellow fur. Someone shoved him again, tugging on his hand. 

“Wake up, Gladion!” 

The blonde swatted at the per, getting up grumpily. He caught sight of Ash, who had a bright smile plastered on his face. 

_“Fuck_ you morning Pikipek. I’m trying to _sleep.”_

“Yeah, but it’s Christmas, so you have to wake up! Hurry, I wanna open presents!”

That got Gladion awake in record time. He felt his pocket for his phone, only to realise it wasn’t there. Panic filled his veins for a split second when he saw his sister holding it. 

“What’s she doing with my phone?” He muttered to himself, pushing himself up and walking towards her. Peeking over her shoulder, he saw her looking at the notifications displayed on the lock screen. _Oh, fuck._

“Hey!” He snapped, snatching it away. Too late. 

She turned to him with a cheeky smile, clasping her hands together. “So _that’s_ what your present is, isn’t it!”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he replied, swiftly slipping the phone back in his pocket. “If you tell a soul, however, I’m murdering you with my bare hands.”

“I won’t. That’s a lot of effort for a simple present, though,” she said pointedly like she was trying to prod him into admitting something. He glared at her, digging his bag for his hoodie and a fresh pair of jeans. 

“Whatever. Just… don’t tell him, okay? I want it to be a surprise.”

She giggled, green eyes shining with mischief. “You can count on me.”

He gave her a grateful nod, watching Ash play with Silvally out of the corner of his eye. Halfway through, Silvally pounced on Ash, trapping him under its claws. Gladion laughed as Ash shouted at him for help, pouting. 

“You brought it upon yourself,” he called, walking to the bathroom to change. When he was finished, he pulled out his phone, skimming through the messages in the group chat. 

**organiser™:** we just woke up, i think we’re opening the presents later

 **organiser™:** who the fuck changed my name

**deedee:** iris did

**dragon girl:** TRAITOR

 **dragon girl:** YOU SAID YOU WOULDN’T TELL

**organiser™:** if i could stab someone virtually, believe me, i would 

**organiser™:** whatever just get everyone ready and here by like 10.20

**future is now:** Bonnie’s forcing me to type this, so

 **future is now:** Yes boss

Gladion wrinkled his nose, turning off his phone with a sigh. He made his way back to the classroom, where the group was packing their sleeping bags. 

“Hey! I packed yours for you already,” Ash said, pointing at the bag next to him. 

“Oh, thanks.”

“No problem! Can we open the presents now?”

“We should probably eat breakfast first. Or brunch, whatever you want to call it,” Mallow piped up, laughing when Ash let out a dejected noise. “We’ll open them later!”

The green-haired girl pulled out a pack of bread and berries, along with lots of Pokémon food. “I could toast some bread and stuff right now. Torracat, will you help me?”

The cat Pokémon leapt off the table, following Mallow to the counters as she pulled out some pans. “Exactly why do you have those in your bag?” Kiawe asked, sweat-dropping when Mallow huffed and glared at him. 

“Never question a Chef’s choices.”

Half an hour passed, with Gladion checking his phone anxiously. It was almost time for Ash’s friends to arrive, though he didn’t know how to bring up opening the presents without sounding weird or suspicious. 

Lillie noticed him checking his phone. She gave him a smile, clapping her hands to catch the group’s attention. “Now that we’re done with breakfast, let’s open the presents, shall we?”

The group agreed, clearing their plates. ‘Thank you,’ Gladion mouthed, Lillie giving a thumbs-up in reply. Just then, his phone vibrated. 

**Brock:** We’re here

**organiser™:** i’ll send umbreon down to bring you guys up

 **organiser™:** don’t make a noise when you reach

 **organiser™:** i’ll tell you guys went to come in

Gladion glanced outside discreetly, instantly noticing the colourful group at the entrance. He patted Umbreon on the head, whispering the plan to her. She agreed, running out the classroom stealthily enough that no one noticed. 

“Who’s gonna go first?” Sophocles asked. 

“Ash could go first, since he picked the name first last time. We’ll go around the circle, with my brother as last,” Lillie offered. Gladion seriously needed to repay her for helping him with this. 

Ash laughed, holding up his present. “Alright, so I’m Mallow’s Secret Santa. Catch!” He threw the box to her as she narrowed her eyes playfully. 

“Did you put a bomb in here?” She asked teasingly, opening the gift. Her eyes widened when she pulled out a pink and green apron with her and Tsareena printed on it in embroidery. 

“I managed to get a customised one,” Ash said, smiling. “And Rotom helped me with the picture.”

“Oh… my god. Thanks so much, Ash,” she laughed, Tsareena nodding in agreement. “I love it. Well then, next is Sophocles!”

The shorter boy grabbed out a rather tall box, passing it to Kiawe next to him. It was revealed to be a shiny looking machine. 

“Since you’re always working on the farm and stuff,” he said shyly, “I built you a robot. It should be able to help you with simpler tasks like forking the hay or filling up water bowls so that you don’t have to work such long hours.”

“No way,” Kiawe blurted, touching the robot carefully, as if it was made of glass. “This is so cool! You’re gonna have to teach me how to use it, though.”

They continued going around the circle slowly. Kiawe had gotten Lana new swim goggles, Lana got Lillie a bunch of notebooks and pens, and Mallow gave Sophocles the recipe she had figured out from the Malasada shop they went to previously. Just as Lillie was about to reveal her present, Umbreon came back, sliding beside Gladion quietly. Gladion bit his lip, knowing everyone was just outside the classroom. 

“I’m the Secret Santa for my brother,” Lillie announced, pretending to sigh disappointedly. Gladion gave her a glare, making them giggle. “I would’ve gotten him some new clothes, but that was too boring. So, here.”

Gladion opened the neatly wrapped box, revealing a smaller one. He frowned, wondering what Lillie could even fit in there before opening it. 

“...oh,” he breathed, seeing silver earrings adorned with red crystals. She gave him a little grin. 

“Your current ones are getting boring anyway.”

“Shut _up,_ how much money did you spend..?” 

“Not too much to leave a dent in mother’s bank account.”

“You’re insane,” Gladion grumbled, trying to hide the emotion in his voice. He reached out and gave Lillie a rarely-received hug, making the group ‘aww’ at them. 

“Good luck,” she whispered to him as she pulled back. Gladion nodded, setting the box down. 

“...right. My present’s, um, outside actually. I’ll have to go get it. It’s for Ash, if you couldn’t tell.” Ash’s hands were busy stroking through Lycanroc’s mane, so he jumped when he heard his name.

“Oh! It’s outside? What’d you get?” Gladion’s stomach churned, fingers twitching. 

“Stand up. I’ll go get it— don’t try to follow me! It’ll ruin the surprise.” He sucked in a breath before leaving the room, ignoring the hushed whispers among the group. When he reached outside, he spotted Ash’s friends standing quietly. 

“You guys look like you’re in an army. Ready?” They nodded, lips clamped shut, though large grins were on all of their faces. 

“Okay, when I say ‘come in’, reveal yourselves,” Gladion whispered before entering the classroom. Ash was standing a few feet away, bouncing on his toes. 

“What is it?” He asked as Gladion snickered at his excitement. He crossed his arms, stepping to the side. 

“It took me a while, but I managed. I, uh, hope you’ll like it. Come in, guys.” At those words, a bunch of people walked into the classroom. Gladion grinned when he saw Ash’s jaw drop, tears starting to form in his eyes. _Mission accomplished._

“...am I dreaming?” Ash whispered hoarsely. Pikachu leapt off his shoulder to join the group, squealing excitedly. The Alola gang shared confused looks with each other, keeping quiet. 

“You aren’t the most materialistic person I know, so I gathered all your friends and got them to come here,” Gladion explained softly. “You seemed to really miss them when you told me about them the other day, so…”

“Holy _shit,”_ Ash breathed, a tear escaping. He quickly wiped it away before the biggest smile appeared on his face. 

As he ran forwards, Gladion expected him to join all his friends, hug them and catch up with them and whatnot. What he _wasn’t_ anticipating, however, was that Ash was running towards _him._

And barreling into his arms.

And pushing his bangs to the side. 

And pulling him closer as he urgently connected their lips together. 

Cheers and whistles erupted from both groups as Gladion almost lost his balance, stumbling back, unsure of where to place his hands. His eyes fluttered close, hands gripping Ash’s shoulders tightly as he kissed back as hard as he could. The raven let out a pleased hum from the back of his throat, both of them blushing darkly. 

They pulled apart, Gladion staring into those bright brown eyes that he’s come to love so much. Ash gave him a shy smile, ducking his head. He could stay like this forever, honestly, holding Ash in his arms, his thoughts going in a continuous circle of _what was that_ and _mine mine mine—_

“We’re still here, idiots!” Misty yelled, making the two boys jump. Ash sent him an apologetic look before turning to the group, bouncing towards them excitedly. Gladion watched him catch up with all his friends, smiling uncontrollably. 

A Pokémon came up to him and nudged his knees with its ribbon feeler. He frowned at the Sylveon for a few seconds, trying to remember who Ash said owned it. When he did, however, his heart dropped from anxiety. 

Gladion looked up, catching a girl’s eyes. She had a small smile on her face, though it looked bittersweet. 

Gladion’s lips parted for a moment, unsure of what to say. He didn’t know if Serena still had a crush on Ash, but judging by her expression—

‘Take care of him,’ she mouthed, grinning when he blinked confusedly before she turned to Clemont, saying something he couldn’t catch. 

“You just gonna stand there and stare at Ash?” A familiar voice called. Gladion turned, huffing at his sister. 

“Tell Mother about this and I’ll slit your throat.”

“Too late.”

He groaned, knowing that his mother was going to start fussing over Ash the next time they met as if they were dating. 

Hands wrapped around his body, the blonde jumping out of his skin as someone placed their chin on his shoulder. “May told me to do it,” Ash said before he could react, ears slightly pink. “She said that I have to ask you to be my boyfriend now, since we kissed and everything. Assuming you like me.”

“Oh. Um, yeah, s-sure,” Gladion stuttered out, freezing when Ash pressed a kiss to his neck, breathing deeply. The raven pulled away, giggling at his flustered expression. 

“Kidding, I just needed an excuse to do that.”

Gladion groaned, covering his face. “If you continue doing… _that_ , I’ll jump off that balcony over there right now. No regrets.”

“Aww, teehee, you’re so cute.”

“Stop!” Gladion griped out with a small smile, not actually bothering to push Ash away. 

As Ash laughed and pulled him closer for a hug, Gladion closed his eyes, breathing in deeply. He thanked Arceus he allowed Lillie to drag him to this party because he’s never been so happy in a long time. 

“You doing okay?” Ash mumbled into his ear. Gladion reached his hand towards Ash’s, holding it tightly.

“Never been better.”

**Author's Note:**

> so!! there was that. 
> 
> this idea came up to me at like,, 2am LMAO and since christmas is around the corner i HAD to write it out. it was supposed to be a short oneshot but ended up like 9k words so... oops?
> 
> but anyway thank you for reading!! hope you enjoyed :)


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